The family of late Mohammed, first son of the late legal icon and activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), says he will be buried after an autopsy and other necessary arrangements.
The eldest child of Gani Fawehinmi, Mrs Basirat Fawehinmi-Biobaku, who spoke on behalf of the family, made the announcement at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday.
Mohammed died about 9 a.m. of Wednesday, after a brief illness in a Lagos hospital, at the age of 52.
Fawehinmi-Biobaku said the family could not preempt the cause of his death until release of the autopsy result.
She added that the deceased would be buried once the family concluded necessary arrangements.
Fawehinmi-Biobaku added that the family was also waiting for younger brother of the deceased, Mr Saheed Fawehinmi, from the United States (U.S.)
She said the family, though still saddened and in shock, would announce his funeral arrangements in due course.
“This is after consultations with all relevant stakeholders, both in the country and outside the country,” she said.
Mohammed was said to have complained of breathing difficulties and was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
He had a law degree from the University of Buckingham, England and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1998.
The deceased was the Chairman of Nigerian Weekly Law Reports before his demise.
In 2003, he had an accident in Lagos, which affected his spinal cord, confining him to wheelchair.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the family of the late irrepressible lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, over the death of their son, Mohammed.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, says: “The President condoles with Ganiat, mother of the deceased, and the entire family, urging them to find comfort in God, who gives and takes, and to draw consolation in the fact that the departed robustly fought a debilitating condition, which confined him to the wheelchair for many years.
“His body may have been broken, but his spirit was virile, agile, and he kept the flag of the family flying, doing justice to the memory of his late father,” the President says.
While praying for the repose of the soul of the departed, President Buhari urges strength for all those who mourn Mohammed Fawehinmi”.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said he received with shock and sadness reports of the passing away of Mohammed.
The former Vice President paid tribute to Mohammed for having worked tirelessly to fill the huge gap created by the death of Gani in his selfless service to humanity.
“It is undeniable that the loss of Mohammed is a hurt to the law profession and the civil society space, which has become a lifetime commitment of the Fawehinmis”.
He expresses his deepest condolences to the Fawehinmi family, particularly its matriarch, Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi.
The Waziri of Adamawa prays for strength and comfort to the family at this difficult moment. He also prays that the Almighty Allah shall heal the family and grant Mohammed a peaceful repose.
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in a statement, said:
“The news of the sudden death of Mohammed, son of late irrepressible lawyer and activist Gani Fawehinmi, is very depressing. I’m extremely saddened by this incident.
Mohammed has kept the activist fire of his dad burning since Fawehinmi left us. Like his father, he was a lawyer totally committed to engendering societal change and development through the instrumentality of the law.
“But for the incapacitation arising from his devastating road accident, Mohammed would surely have risen to the full stature of his potential. Even then, he refused to be constrained by his physical state or confined to the wheelchair. Rather, he continued to battle in court defending the poor, weak and oppressed Nigerians like his dad.
“Like his father also, and like activists they both were, Mohammed also mounted the streets to agitate for democracy and good governance.
“Indeed, this death rankles. My condolences to the Fawehinmi family, particularly the matriarch Alhaja Ganiat, and eldest daughter Bashirat. I hope and pray the family and the people both father and son fought for all through their lives find the strength to live through this moment.
“I urge the Fawehinmi family to continue to advance those noble ideals propagated by both father and son.
May Almighty Allah grant the soul of Mohammed eternal rest. Amin”
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also mourned the passing of Mohammed.
The Governor also commiserated with family and friends of the deceased, describing his death as a colossal loss to the civil society movement in Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said like his father, the late Mohammed Fawehinmi stayed the course with his persistent fight for the rights of the Nigerian people.
Sanwo-Olu added that the late Mohammed did not live under the shadows of his father as he had grown to become a dependable comrade.
Sanwo-Olu also commiserated with Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the entire people of Ondo State on the demise of their illustrious son.
“It is with a deep sense of sorrow that I commiserate with the family, friends and associates of the Late Mohammed Fawehinmi. He was undoubtedly a great Nigerian, passionate human rights activist and champion of a true Nigeria.
“As a civil rights activist, he spent his life in the service of humanity and particularly for the emancipation of the Nigerian people. Mohammed Fawehinmi was as consistent as his father, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He kept the flame of his father burning by fighting for the masses even on his wheelchair.
“On behalf of my family and the people of Lagos State, I express my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, associates and members of the Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria. I pray that God will grant Mohammed Fawehinmi eternal rest and give the immediate family and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” the Governor said.
His Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, described the death of Mohammed as shocking and unfortunate.
Fayemi, in a statement on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti signed by Mr Yinka Oyebode, his Chief Press Secretary, said Mohammed’s death is a loss to the generality of Nigerians.
According to him:” It is a great loss not only to the late Fawehinmi’s family and the Civil Society Organisations, but also the masses whose rights Mohammed fought to protect.”
Fayemi said the late Mohammed, like his father, was very passionate about getting Nigeria to work better for the citizenry.
He said the deceased always sought a better Nigeria through constructive criticisms of the government.
The Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said that, the late Civil Rights Activist spent his life in the service of humanity, despite being confined to the wheelchair.
He said the Nigerian masses would sorely miss Mohammed whom he described as a champion of the oppressed and defender of the defenceless.
“In spite of his health challenge, Mohammed continued in the acts of his Father who also fought for the masses as their advocate.
“His vision, courage and patriotism were just like his father’s. His demise will definitely create a huge vacuum in the fight for the liberation of the masses.
“On behalf of the government and the people of Ekiti State, I commiserate with the family of the deceased, the civil society organisations in Nigeria, as well as the government and the people of Ondo State on this irreparable loss.
“Our prayer is that God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the deceased eternal rest,” Fayemi added.
Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, said the news of Mohammed’s death came like a wildfire.
“Mohammed was a man of courage like his father. We will miss him because he was the heir of the Fawehinmi family, representing justice and fairness, especially to the poor and the downtrodden”.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) also commiserated with the family of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN over the loss of Mohammed.
In a statement, Falana said he was saddened about the sudden death of Mohammed.
The statement with the title “ADIEU MOHAMMED FAWEHINMI” reads: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the untimely death of Mohammed Fawehinmi. As we mourn his passing we extend our heartfelt condolences to his mother, siblings and the entire Fawehinmi family.
“Mohammed was born in February 1969 while his father, the Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN was held in an illegal custody in Kaduna under the State Security (Detention of Persons) Decree No 24 of 1967. Mohammed later trained as a lawyer and was already in legal practice when he had a lone accident in Lagos in September, 2003.
“Unfortunately, the injury sustained by him in the accident confined him to a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Notwithstanding his physical challenge Mohammed was ever prepared to join other patriots in confronting the forces of oppression and exploitation.
“In spite of the challenge of insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment plaguing the nation Mohammed strongly believed that a new Nigeria was possible. As a chip off the old block, Mohammed was courageous, dedicated, knowledgeable and committed to the liberation of the Nigerian people from the shackle of injustice in all its ramifications.
“Mohammed will be surely missed for his unwavering commitment to the struggle for a united, just and prosperous Nigeria.
“We pray that the condolences of the Nigerian people will bring comfort to the Fawehinmi family and ease the pain of the great loss.”
Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Island branch, described late Mohammed Fawehinmi as a thorough professional whose life represented excellence and hard work.
Uwanna said on Thursday in Lagos that Mohammed’s death was a great loss to the legal profession.
The NBA chairman noted that Mohammed had the tenacity to rise above every challenge, even physical challenge.
Uwanna said he was saddened by the demise of Mohammed and prayed for the repose of his soul and condoled those he left behind.
“We pray that the legacy of the Fawehinmis’ in the legal profession will not dewindle.
“We pray that it will shine very bright despite this setback,” the NBA chairman said.
Uwanna advised young lawyers to emulate the life and times of Mohammed in the legal profession and work hard to leave a mark in the profession.
According to him, the legal profession today is in a state where there is need to work hard to revive and rejuvenate its name.
“I think that all of us need to work hard and emulate the life and times of late Gani Fawehinmi and his son, Mohammed, who have done their part and passed on.
“We need to ensure that we contribute our own quota to the improvement and development of our profession. I think this is very critical,” Uwanna said.
Mohammed, the first son of late Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, was born on February 21, 1969.
He had his primary education at Kotun Memorial School, Surulere, Lagos, and attended Federal Government College, Sokoto.
He was a graduate of Business Administration from the University of Lagos in 1991.
He obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1998.
Senator Femi Okunrounmu, in his tribute, said the late Muhammed is a fighter who confronted his condition valiantly.
Okunrounmu, who was among dignitaries at the GRA residence of late Gani Fawehinmi, said it was a pity that he died in his prime.
In his tribute, Senior Pastor of Trinity House church, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, said: “Muhammed was a very wonderful soul, he was a very outstanding man. He was very focused, very determined inspite of his personal challenges. He was a fighter for the masses, a man who wanted things done properly.
” He was a friend to us and would be greatly missed. His presence was always largely felt, may his soul and the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.”
Mr. Wahab Shittu expressed sadness over the untimely demise of Mohammed, saying that the legal profession has lost one of its brightest members in his prime time.
Human rights activist, Femi Aborisade said ” Muhammed even after the death of his father continue to fight for the masses of this country. In spite of his spinal-cord injury on wheelchair, he was always participating in protests and was not bothered about being teargassed and traumatised by security agencies”.
“He fought courageously in spite of his ill health. May his soul rest in peace”.
A former head of chamber of Fawehinmi law firm, Mr. Ugwuzor Adindu, said: “Muhammed was my brother, I called him my general. You will not know we are not from the same mother. Throughout the time we were together in his father’s chamber, he gave me the power and courage to administer the office without any interference. Muhammed has the spirit of a Lion, even after the accident, he never gave up. He believed he was going to walk. His death is a great loss to all of us”.
Another lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, who had worked in Fawehinmi’s law firm, said: “Mohammed lived and loved life. He loved people and has a very good, sincere and loving heart. He imbibed the values of his father who was a human rights activist and stood for and with the people. He had regard for other people and has altruistic tendencies just like his late father.”
“He was very frank and bold like his father and would have fitted well into his the shoes he left but for the accident he had years back. I Pray that God will strengthen the family particularly the mother at this challenging times”.
Lanre Arogundade, Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), described the death of Muhammed as a painful farewell adding that he was a supporter of Justice. ”
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, expressed shock and sadness over death of Mohammed.
Okei-Odumakin, in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, described the deceased as a chip off the old block in every way.
“Mohammed attended rallies and kept the flame of activism burning in the Fawehinmi clan and indeed, the national circle of activists.
“He relegated the designs of a fateful accident aside and performed all his obligations creditably.
“We are devastated by the sudden death of our dear Mohammed Fawehinmi. This one death too many, was communicated to us quite early but the shock was arresting, alongside the need to find the best way for the immediate family to absorb the effect of this tragedy,” she said
Okei-Odumakin said that late Fawehinmi would be sorely missed and prayed that Almighty Allah would erase his shortcomings and grant him Aljanat Fridaus.
Late Fawehinmi had a law degree from the University of Buckingham, England and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1998.
In 2003, he had a terrible accident in Lagos, which affected his spinal cord, confining him to a wheel chair.
